This is such a beautiful time of the year with the trees leafing out in chartreuse green.

Michael has been photographing for a book of NYC public gardens and the tulips are out in force. Such a wonderful array of colors. One can understand how in 1637 Holland underwent tulipomania where a single bulb would go for the equivalent ten times an annual income. The joy of seeing vivid color after the grey colors of winter is especially welcome in the North East.

Christine delivered her two large icons [8 by 3 feet] to the Graymoor Friars of Atonement in Garrison, NY. They depict the founders of Graymoor, Lurana White, SA and Paul Wattson. SA. They will be installed in a new chapel for the friars. Father Richard Vosko , of St Vincent De Paul’s Church, Albany, assisted with liaison for the commission and was there to help with the delivery.

Michael has been working on another short video about how God sees and is active in cities, especially in New York City. It is good to remember that Jesus’s heart is for all people and He especially enjoys seeing how people use the gifts that He has given them.

I think it must take a lot of courage to take a musical instrument down into the subways and perform on the platforms. The musicians, of all kinds and cultures, step out boldly and perform as a way of earning a living, using the gifts God has given them.

We are also involved with a group for intercession for Albany and the region which is meeting weekly and listening for God’s direction.

Michael has been doing some street praying in connection with that intercession particularly at seven different sites in the city.

Albany is a city without a heart, and it desperately needs it to be restored. Between 1962 and 1964 1,200 houses and other structures were taken by eminent domain and destroyed; leveling 98 acres of the heart of Albany. That was to create the Empire State Plaza which can be described in architectural language as Modernist, Brutalist and International. The great plan put forward by Governor Nelson A. Rockerfeller was completed between 1965 and 1976 costing around two billion dollars, as well as much anguish and back biting.

Albany is the political center of New York state and sits as the center of a wheel of political strings which go to each corner of the state. New York City being the financial capital of the country and some might argue high on the list for the world, has a push/ pull relationship with Albany. Politics and all that the ‘spirit of politics’ carries is strong in Albany.

These are just two of the issues we are finding to pray into to have the Holy Spirit move powerfully in Albany. We believe the Lord is wanting that to happen, so please pray with us that Albany would have a powerful move of God, which would change the state and the nation.

One of the words Michael got when praying on the ‘God in the City’ video was- ‘pure love is always more powerful than pure hatred.’

The mission of The Fra Angelico Institute for Sacred Art is to deepen the prayer life of Western Rite Catholics by evangelizing the truth, goodness, and beauty of God through education and the prayerful creation of sacred art.